Cornyn, Cruz Resolution Recognizing Texas A&M University’s 150th Anniversary Passes Senate

Cornyn, Cruz Resolution Recognizing Texas A&M University’s 150th Anniversary Passes Senate News Cornyn, Cruz Resolution Recognizing Texas A&M University’s 150th Anniversary Passes Senate October 1, 2026 WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, the Senate resolution introduced by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) congratulating Texas A&M University for 150 years of service to the State of Texas and the United States, celebrating their positive impact on hundreds of thousands of students, and commending their commitment to honoring tradition, promoting academic excellence, and cultivating leadership for future generations passed the Senate unanimously. Text is below, and you can view the full resolution here . “Whereas President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Land-Grant Agricultural and Mechanical College Act of 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) (commonly known as and referred to in this preamble as the “Morrill Land-Grant Act”), granting public lands to the States to fund colleges for the benefit of agriculture, mechanic arts, and military tactics and, thereby establishing a system of land-grant universities in the United States; Whereas the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (AMC) was chartered on April 17, 1871, under the Morrill Land-Grant Act by the Texas Legislature, making it the first public institution of higher education in the State of Texas; Whereas, on October 4, 1876, the AMC, founded as a military institution grounded in discipline, leadership, and camaraderie, held its inaugural day of classes with 6 students and 6 faculty members; Whereas Major Robert P.W. Morris, a Virginia Military Institute graduate, was among the first 6 faculty members and served as the Corps of Cadets’ first commandant; Whereas, in 1887, the Scott Volunteers, renamed the Ross Volunteers in 1890, were established as a cadet drill team and would later serve as the official honor guard of the governor of Texas, making the company the oldest of its kind in Texas; Whereas, in 1890, Lawrence Sullivan Ross, former governor of Texas, was appointed President of AMC; Whereas, in 1894, the nationally acclaimed Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, known for its precision military marching formations, was formed; Whereas, in 1917, the AMC offered its campus facilities and equipment for war training and was the first college in the United States to do so; Whereas, during World War I, approximately 49 percent of all AMC graduates (referred to in this preamble as “Aggies”) were in military service; Whereas, during World War I, more than 2,000 Aggies served and more than 70 Aggies made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States; Whereas, during World War II, more than 20,000 Aggies entered the Armed Forces of the United States, and the entire senior class of 1943 mobilized directly into service; Whereas, during World War II, the AMC produced more than 14,000 Aggies who served as officers and 29 Aggies who reached the rank of general, contributing more officers to the Armed Forces than the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy combined; Whereas, during World War II, Aggies fought in every major theater of the war, including the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Pacific campaign, and were among the liberators of Nazi concentration camps; Whereas, on April 21, 1946, 128 Aggie veterans of World War II returned to Corregidor Island to honor fallen comrades by reading aloud the names of the 27 Aggies, and thereby established the way Aggie Muster is observed today, serving as an enduring example of loyalty and remembrance; Whereas AMC’s contributions to World War I and World War II fundamentally shaped the university’s culture, traditions, and identity as a leading military and land-grant institution; Whereas the Fish Drill Team, formed in 1947 by 36 freshmen as a competitive rifle drill squad within the AMC Corps of Cadets that promotes unity and military precision, is now integral to the university’s mission to develop leaders of character dedicated to serving the greater good; Whereas, in 1950, the Liberty Bell replica given to Texas was presented to AMC to honor the university’s extraordinary military service and sacrifice; Whereas, on April 21, 1951, the Memorial Student Center was dedicated in honor of students killed during military service to the United States; Whereas James Earl Rudder, who graduated from AMC in 1932, became a United States Army Major General known for leading the 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day, and in 1959, he was appointed President of the university; Whereas, on February 24, 1962, the Texas Maritime Academy, one of only 6 maritime academies in the United States, was established to give cadets practical experience in seamanship, navigation, and engineering operations; Whereas, in 1963, under President Rudder’s leadership, the university opened enrollment to African American students and began admitting women on a limited basis; Whereas, in 1963, the Texas Le